Top-Ranked UCLA Opens 2025 Season at California Cup

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LOS ANGELES – No. 1 UCLA (0-0, 0-0 MPSF) opens the 2025 campaign with three games at the California Cup, beginning with No. 15 UC Davis (3-1) on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 12:00 p.m. PT. The Bruins will finish day one with No. 8 Long Beach State (2-0) at 3:30 p.m. The Bruins will conclude the weekend with an exhibition game on Sunday against No. 2 Stanford (2-0) at 11:00 a.m., followed by a matchup against No. 9 Fresno State (2-1) at 4:00 p.m. PT. The Golden Bears will provide live stats on 6-8Sports.com for all countable games. Overnght.com will live stream all of the games this weekend at the Cal Cup.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Saturday, Jan. 25 (California Cup – Spieker Aquatics Complex – Berkeley, Calif.)
12:00 PM PT – No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 15 UC Davis | LIVE STATS | WATCH
3:30 PM PT – No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 8 Long Beach State | LIVE STATS | WATCH

Sunday, Jan. 26 (California Cup – Spieker Aquatics Complex – Berkeley, Calif.)
11:00 AM PT – No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 2 Stanford (EXHIBITION) | WATCH
4:00 PM PT – No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 9 Fresno State | LIVE STATS | WATCH

SERIES HISTORY
This is the 24th meeting between UCLA and UC Davis with the Bruins leading the series 22-1. The Bruins defeated the Aggies 18-10 in the last meeting between the two teams (Jan. 27, 2024) in last year's only countable game at the Cal Cup.

From game recap: The Bruins had eight players score in the contest, led by a career-high-tying effort of five goals from sophomore Anna Pearson. Freshmen Becca Melanson and Panni Szegedi, and sophomore Genoa Rossi each scored the first hat tricks of their young collegiate careers. Freshman Lauren Steele got the start in the cage and played the first half, recording 10 saves and two steals while allowing three goals. Freshman Joey Niz played the second half in the cage and had four saves and a steal while surrendering seven goals.

This is the eighth meeting between UCLA and Fresno State with the Bruins leading the series 7-0. UCLA defeated the Bulldogs last year, 10-8, to win the Triton Invitational (Feb. 4, 2024).

From game recap: The Bruins had six players score in the contest, paced by hat tricks from senior Malia Allen (season-high, eventual game-winning goal at 6:03 of the fourth) and sophomore Anna Pearson (third hat trick of the season, insurance goal at 1:29 of the fourth). They were the only Bruins to score multiple goals in the game. Freshman Lauren Steele got the start in the cage and went the distance, recording seven saves, two steals, and one assist while giving up eight goals.

This is the 27th meeting between UCLA and Long Beach State with the Bruins leading the series 26-0. UCLA defeated the Beach in its last meeting, 16-6, in the first game of the Barbara Kalbus Invitational on Feb. 22, 2019. No current player on the Bruins' roster has ever played LBSU.

From game recap: The Bruins were led by senior Sarah Sheldon who scored a season-high and career-high-tying three goals. Other Bruins with multiple goals included junior Maddie Musselman, senior Louise Hazell and freshmen Bella Baia and Val Ayala, each with two scores. Senior Carlee Kapana started in goal for UCLA, playing the first half, registering six saves while allowing two goals. Sophomore Jahmea Bent came on in relief in the second half and tallied a season- and career-high-tying nines saves while surrendering four goals.

UCLA IN SEASON OPENERS
UCLA has won 25 consecutive season-opening games. The Bruins' last loss to open a season was a 4-3 setback at Stanford on Feb. 6, 1999. Overall, the Bruins are 28-2 all-time in season openers. UCLA's only other loss to open a season was the very first game in program history when Golden West College defeated UCLA, 14-1, on Feb. 3, 1995 at the Women's Winter Nationals. Last year, UCLA opened the 2024 campaign with a 19-6 win over #25 Marist at the UCSB Winter Invitational on Jan. 20.

From game recap: The Bruins had 12 players score in the contest, led by a career-high effort of three goals from graduate student Brooke Doten. Five other Bruins had multiple-goal scores with graduate student Hannah Palmer, sophomore Taylor Smith, junior Molly Renner, freshman Olivia Ouellette, and junior Nicole Struss all scoring twice. Freshman Lauren Steele got the start in the cage and played the first quarter, tallying five saves while pitching a shutout. Senior Sydney Chiang played the second and third quarters in the cage and had four saves and a steal while surrendering four goals. Freshman Joey Niz played the fourth quarter in goal and was credited with three saves and a steal while allowing two scores.

RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
A total of seven All-Americans will be suiting up for UCLA in 2025. The Bruins return three of their five All-Americans from the 2024 season, including two first-teamers, and picked up another one from the transfer portal for the 2025 campaign. Sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Steele (Old Greenwich, Conn./Orange Lutheran HS) and junior utility Anna Pearson (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS) both earned First-Team All-America honors last year and are joined by First-Team All-America transfer from Hawai'i, Bia Mantellato (São Paulo, Brazil/Newport Harbor HS). Steele, who was named the MVP of both the NCAA and MPSF Championship Tournaments, was also the 2024 ACWPC Player of the Year. The 2024 MPSF Newcomer of the Year, Steele started every game last year in the cage, going 26-0 with 268 saves (ranks fourth on UCLA's single-season charts). Pearson led the team in goals (39) and drawn exclusions (82) in 2024. Mantellato, a two-time Big West Player of the Year (2023 and 2024), led the Rainbow Wahine in goals (64) and drawn exclusions (60). Like Steele, Mantellato was also a Cutino Award finalist (two of the three from 2024 are now Bruins). Junior attacker Taylor Smith (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) earned Third-Team All-America accolades a year ago after finishing third on the team in goals (35) and in total points (53) with 18 assists to her credit and returns to the lineup. UCLA is also fortunate to have two Honorable Mention All-Americans from 2023 returning in redshirt sophomore utility Sienna Green (Mosman, Australia/SCEGGS Darlinghurst) and redshirt junior attacker Emma Lineback (Laguna Beach, Calif./Laguna Beach HS). Green won a silver medal with Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and was third on the team in goals (39) in 2023. Lineback paced the Bruins' offense in 2023 with a team-high in goals (52), assists (27), total points (79), and in steals (24). Senior attacker Molly Renner earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in 2022 and was sixth on the team last year in goals (22) and returns for her final season. The Bruins lost the services of First-Team All-American Hannah Palmer (26 goals) and Third-Team All-American Malia Allen (33 goals). UCLA also lost the services of utility Panni Szegedi (Budapest, Hungary/Kolping Katolikus Iskola), who was the lone Bruin to receive Delfina All-MPSF Honorable Mention accolades a year ago after tying Pearson for the team lead in goals (39).

EXPERIENCE BETWEEN THE POSTS
All four of UCLA's goalkeepers on the 2025 roster saw playing time last season. The Bruins have a wealth of experience in the cage and National Player of the Year, Lauren Steele, headlines a group that includes junior Izzy Rosensitto (Newport Beach, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS), senior MJ Bailey (Sarasota, Fla./Pine View School), and sophomore Joey Niz (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitos HS). Sydney Chiang (Temple City, Calif./Temple City HS) was the lone loss (graduation) at this position.

ANOTHER INFLUX OF YOUTH
The Bruins had 11 true freshmen join the ranks in 2024 and welcome in another eight this season. That class is bolstered by two redshirts from last year, putting the total of freshmen and sophomores to 18 on the 2025 roster. That is a total of 18 of the Bruins' 29 student-athletes (62.1 percent) on the roster with only one year or less of collegiate experience. The eight true freshmen include Kenya Cassidy (Atherton, Calif./Menlo School), Ryan Chalupnik (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), Aubrey Graham (Mountain View, Calif./Mountain View HS), Jenna Human (El Cajon, Calif./Santana HS), Ana Pieper (Orinda, Calif./Campolindo HS), Tali Stryker (Lafayette, Calif./Miramonte HS), Maile Turner (Danville, Calif./Monte Vista HS), and Jojo Walters (Dallas, Texas/Southlake Carroll HS). The class is joined by redshirts Alexsa Gimenez (Commerce, Calif./Downey HS) and Camille Greenlee (Carlsbad, Calif./The Bishop's School).

MORE BRUINS LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
UCLA also returns nine players from its 2024 roster that all made significant contributions to the Bruins' undefeated NCAA title run last season. That group includes sophomores Dania Innis (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte HS), Natasha Kieckhafer (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS), Becca Melanson (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny HS), Olivia Ouellette (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitos HS), and Elektra Urbatsch (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day School), juniors Lily Gess (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), Carly McMurray (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS), and Genoa Rossi (Laguna Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS), and senior Nicole Struss (Laguna Beach, Calif./Laguna Beach HS),

WRIGHT ON DECK
Adam Wright is in his seventh season as UCLA's head women's water polo coach in 2024 with an overall record of 152-36 (.809) and an MPSF mark of 31-12 (.721). He won his 100th game at the helm of the women's program with a 9-8 victory at No. 4 California (Mar. 5, 2022). Top-seeded UCLA won its first league title since 2017 with a 10-4 win over fifth-ranked USC in the semifinals and a 13-10 win over third-ranked California in the finals of the 2024 MPSF Women's Water Polo Championship, which marked the first MPSF Championship for the Bruin women in the Wright era. Wright guided the Bruins to their eighth NCAA Championship and 12th National Championship in program history in 2024 with a perfect 26-0 record. It marked his first NCAA Championship with the women's program and he now has eight total titles, winning two as a player in 1999 and 2000, five as the Head Coach of the UCLA Men's Water Polo team (2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2024) and last year's title with the Bruin women. Wright was named the MPSF and ACWPC National Coach of the year in 2024 and is the first Bruin Head Coach to earn the honor since Adam Krikorian won it in 2009. It is the eighth time a Bruin mentor has been named the national Coach of the Year. Wright guided UCLA to just its third undefeated season in program history, joining the 2005 (33-0) and 2008 (33-0) teams. Just five squads have ever had perfect runs to NCAA Championships, with USC doing it twice (2004 and 2016). On July 20, 2017, then-UCLA Director of Athletics, Dan Guerrero, announced that Wright would guide both the UCLA men's and women's water polo teams.

RECAPPING 2024
Overall Record: 26-0 (1.000) | MPSF Record: 6-0 (1.000) | Final Ranking: 1st | NCAA Finish: 1st | MPSF Tournament Finish: 1st

The UCLA Bruins (26-0) captured their eighth NCAA Championship and 12th National Championship in program history with a 7-4 win at No. 3 California on May 12. UCLA completed just the third undefeated season in program history, joining the 2005 (33-0) and 2008 (33-0) teams. Just five squads have ever had perfect runs to NCAA Championships, with USC doing it twice (2004 and 2016). The Bruins registered the 123rd NCAA title in UCLA athletic department history. UCLA women's water polo has won 12 national championships in all, with four predating the first NCAA title. Head coach Adam Wright, who has guided the UCLA men's water polo program to five NCAA titles (2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2024), did so for the first time at the helm of the women's team.

UCLA IN THE CWPA POLL
The Bruins remained steady at No. 1 in the 2024 CWPA National Women's Varsity Top 25 Poll (99 points), released on Jan. 22.

2025 Women's Varsity Top 25 (Week 1/January 22)
Rank	Team	2025 Preseason Poll	Points
1	UCLA	1	99
2	Stanford	2	97
3	USC	3	91
4	California	4	89
5	Hawai'i	5	83
6	Princeton	6 (T)	76
7	UC Irvine	6 (T)	75
8	Long Beach State	8	74
9	Fresno State	9	70
10	LMU	10	64
11	Indiana	11	57
12	Arizona State	13	54
13	Michigan	14	50
14	UC San Diego	12	48
15	UC Davis	15	47
16	CSUN	16	38
17	San Jose State	18	35
18	UC Santa Barbara	17	32
19	San Diego State	23	24
20	Pacific	19	22
21	Harvard	20	21
22	Wagner	21	20
23	Brown	22	15
24	LIU	24	9
25	Pomona-Pitzer	25 (T)	4
RV	California Baptist University	25 (T)	1
RV	Biola	RV	1

University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics

Top-Ranked UCLA Opens 2025 Season at California Cup

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Players Mentioned

Malia Allen

Val Ayala

Bella Baia

MJ Bailey

Jahmea Bent

Kenya Cassidy

Ryan Chalupnik

Sydney Chiang

Sydney Chiang

Brooke Doten

Lily Gess

Alexsa Gimenez

Aubrey Graham

Sienna Green

Camille Greenlee

Louise Hazell

Jenna Human

Dania Innis

Carlee Kapana

Natasha Kieckhafer

Emma Lineback

Bia Mantellato

Carly McMurray

Becca Melanson

Maddie Musselman

Joey Niz

Olivia Ouellette

Hannah Palmer

Hannah Palmer

Anna Pearson

Ana Pieper

Molly Renner

Molly Renner

Izzy Rosensitto

Genoa Rossi

Sarah Sheldon

Taylor Smith

Taylor Smith

Lauren Steele

Nicole Struss

Nicole Struss

Tali Stryker

Panni Szegedi

Maile Turner

Elektra Urbatsch

Jojo Walters

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